Persephone- a tale of love
by Green Flame Titan
Summary: A tale of eternal love bringing new meaning to the statement, opposites attract, Persephone; goddess of spring and Hades, ruler of the land of the dead. if people like it i will post more in daily updates so please leave reviews and let me know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

Deep in our hearts, there is only one wish; immortality but when you are frozen and left alone does that lust for never ending life bow to love and need for companionship? Persephone knew this but how did she know her heart was yet to bloom like that of a flower in spring, let me tell you a story, but for it we are going to have to go back to the original tragic romance, way before Orpheus and Eurydice, that's right, I'm talking about when the one with no heart who was as cold as ice fell in love with a girl who was as warm as sunlight and more beautiful that any flower, because, there was a time where summer lived all year around, where the sun would shine and warmth would touch every land but this wasn't to last. This is the story of a love that changed the world.

Persephone wasn't just an ordinary girl, for one fact, she was a goddess and free as nature, she had long flowing hair, soft and brown which flowed in the breeze, her eyes a soft delicate blue, her body was slim and so beautiful, any flower that bloomed around her looked little in comparison, even so, oh how she longed for adventure but under the watch of her mothers careful eye; Demeter, she knew deep down that was never going to happen.

But that never stopped her.

She would wonder through the gardens watching the beauty of all nature, the insects would buzz with life all around her and she would smile as she walked past waterfalls and lakes and saw nymphs being chased by Satyr lovers and her sad gaze wall fall upon the ground, "I am always surrounded by such beauty but why do I never feel it kindle to the warmth of my heart." She sighed and jumped over the rocks next to the lake and sat staring sadly to her reflection, "does love not find me because I am not beautiful enough for it?"

"No!" the nymphs cried out, being entities of nature they shared the pain of her heart. Love had not found her because love had often been hurt in process of trying to capture her heart.

It is said that every time Eros or as we may call him; Cupid, shot his arrows at Persephone, a swan was often seen in the sky striking them and smashing them before they had even the remote chance to even be near her but this was no ordinary swan, this was Persephone's mother, Demeter; goddess of the harvest. Oh how she hated seeing her daughter so sad but she could never stop, all crops around the world had to be grew she never had that much time for her daughter but if she couldn't have her, nobody could.

When she saw her daughter that day sad by the lake she flew down from the sky her swan wings wrapping protectively around her daughter before she changed into her elegant own form, like Persephone she was extremely beautiful, "Oh my daughter" she sighed holding her in the comfort of her arms, "What troubles you? Such beauty everywhere you look, why are you sad?" she cooed.

"Oh mother, am I not beautiful?" she stood and looked to the sky with sad tears in her eyes, "does love not find me because I do not deserve it?"

"Why would you want it anyway" she said frowning slightly, "It brings you nothing but pain and sorrow, do not let it fool you." But the more she held back Eros's arrows, the more Persephone was aching, Demeter was a good mother, she cared so much for her daughter but she thought she could only keep her safe in her own embrace, she would soon have to learn that every beautiful robin, one day, fly's from it's nest.

Persephone would hear none of it, leant across the soft moss which had grown on the rock as though it was a silk pillow and stared into the water as she dropped a rose which she had been holding, but instead of floating it sunk straight to the bottom, but she was paying no attention in her sadness, "Mother, I want to have adventures! I want to see the world, I cannot stay here forever!" she sighed, she often told her mother this but her comment was simply swept away for Demeter was already gone.

Little did she know that through this chatter, Eros had finally got his chance, as he formed in the sky, his golden wavy hair blowing in the wind he looked at Persephone with pity, "do not worry Persephone." He took his bow and pulled from his quiver a golden arrow, "I will give you a love that will last forever, you will find comfort in loves embrace and your own special adventure will begin, as it does for every one." He pulled back on his bow string, "not even Demeter will stop you from having love." He let go and watched the arrow dive through the air and into the water and he smiled, "Lovers hold stays true." But little did he or any of the Olympians who were watching know about the adventure that was about to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

Down the arrow went, down far beneath the water, spiralling to the darkest of shadows, because far beneath the surface of the beautiful world and lake where Persephone was laying. There was a place where no man ever wished to go; there is place so dark and desolate, as if time and even life itself had been poisoned there, now all that remained were shadows which were woven into thick webs and tendrils that spread their sadness everywhere.

This was the Underworld.

A vast catacomb of unending tunnels led to a blood stained room where the walls were jewelled in vast tapestries of the world above, but it was tainted as though darkness had put its own twist on it, where Helios' chariot sailed across the sky bringing light and life to the world it was tainted dark and crimson and the land was similarly the colour of blood only the gardens of Demeter and Persephone were green and elegant, it was the only thing the king of the underworld admired as beautiful.

The ceiling was a sight of Diamonds like that of the night sky, along with the tapestries; it was the only beautiful thing to exist among the underworld, for Hades had always been sad in this desolate wasteland with only the dead and his pet Cerberus to comfort him, to have lost his birthright as the first born child from Cronus, tradition dictated, the entitlement of power as king of the gods should have gone to him but instead his youngest brother Zeus had taken the throne leaving him to this hell since Poseidon had then claimed the sea's.

He sat in a vast open tunnel where stalagmites covered every inch and he stared to the high sky like ceiling where a pool of water spread, he often came here just so he could even see the light of the world which had left him. "Why does it feel like time stands still, to be king of the dead, to have a kingdom that always is growing, life…. If that is what you can call it, has no meaning!" he turned frustrated by his expression of words and looked to his reflection.

He was a fair man, his dark hair spiked forwards sharply like the stalagmites which housed around his world, his eyes were dark, but in no way lifeless, they sparkled giving just a enough light of in a hypnotic way, he was well toned with a medium tan and strong muscles. Every day he even dressed to look like a handsome king, he wore a black tunic that stopped just short of his knees and locked golden bands around his arms and ankles, he never intentionally aimed to look handsome which made his beauty even the more purest.

He looked to his three headed dog and sighed taking a seat on a collar pillar of crystal, Cerberus could always sense his master's tension or feelings but what was he to do? He could not comfort his master any more than this dark world could.

Even so he laid his three heads on Hades' knees and whimpered it seemed to bring a sad smile to his face though as he stroked his pets ears mechanically as he did every time he felt like this, "but why should I expect happiness in this barren wasteland, I have not even felt sun light on my face for aeons, never mind the beauty that came with it." He sadly looked up but was not braced as with a sharp pain and searing whistle and arrow passed straight into his chest and he stumbled, he had never been struck like this, but then again, it was no ordinary feeling that now had been born to him.

Now though, as he gazed to the surface he saw the crying form of a girl and his cold chest began to warm ever so slightly at first before erupting into an inferno, "Who are you?" he whispered as he looked at her, she had lilies and roses draped into her waist length hair which moved across the water as she swam and bathed, but he wasn't looking at her like that. Hades did not count himself as an Olympian, he was a man of out and honour, he had heard so many stories of what his fellow gods did, Poseidon taking Medusa's unwilling love and after he had hurt her in so many ways letting a curse fall upon her, Athena and the weaver Arachne, a mortal had out matched the god and as her prize Athena had put the weaver into a depression so horrid that with her own loom Arachne had made her noose and hung herself. No, Hades was nothing like the Olympians he was a man who stood by his word and cared for others, he had to, who else was going to care for the souls of his realm, simple, no one else would.

Persephone laid back in the water, petals falling from the trees to her hair but with each one she just looked even more beautiful and more elegant, "Oh mother" she sighed thinking about her their last conversation, "_I cannot_ _stay with you forever_, she loves me, I know" she said to a water nymph who began braiding her long hair, "but I need to be held by arms different from hers, I need to let my hear bloom like a rose!" she held one in her hands, she had heeded her mothers advice and often listened. Love was tricky and very much like the rose she held now but you could not get it without maybe catching a finger on a thorn or two.

But as she watched, slowly a plant surfaced, it was a lily, so very different from others she had seen, something about it just, didn't seem right, she took it in her hands as though she could feel the difference rather than see it and she could.

The inside colour of the petals were crystal but yet resembled the softness of the flower ever so much, "What a strange, strange flower you are" she whispered to it with a smile and looked around for the person who had floated it over to her, but no one was there but the nymph and herself, "Strange." She whispered but smelled the delicate fragrance of her gift.

"Maybe a suitor has taking a liking to you?" the nymph giggled and sprang out the water pulling her dress of leafs back on, but Persephone had gone past the idea of love and suitors, her mother never would have allowed it, no men, mortal or gods were allowed near her when her mother knew of it, but maybe, just maybe, someone had found a way, so she ran to a nearby tree and plucked the rose which resembled her heart, a clear snow white rose, pure and beautiful and placed it on the water, "who ever you are" she whispered, "thank you for the flower, do not let me be forgotten from your thoughts" she pleaded as she kissed it and pushed it away so it floated to the middle, "please" she added and turned away, but when she looked back, the rose had gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Eros had done his job exactly as he had promised sweet Persephone, each day she went to the lake smiling happily as she lay across the grass, "Oh sweet" she sighed, she had braided every flower that had come to her into her hair, she ran her fingers across the glass still water as though she could touch her secret suitor and sometimes, just sometimes, when she did this, she swore she could feel a hand gently placed against hers, this unfortunately was not one of those times. She often sat wondering what her suitor was like, whether he was old or young and handsome, rich but she never actually cared about any of that, Persephone's heart was fluttering. "Where are you?" she stared into the lake, "please if you are there just tell me." She sighed, she did this everyday but never got an answer back, even so, she still floated a rose out to the middle of the lake with a kiss planted on it then watched as it sank.

Hades was always there waiting for it, as the water from the lake circled down in a stream through the cavern he took hold of it, "Oh my love" he whispered and held it, "If only I was a better man, what can I offer you but my heart, this world here so dreary and sad, I would not wish that upon you" and just like her, a flower blossomed in his hand, though it was different, this flower was made of crystal with colour made from jewels, he slide his hand up the stream with the flower and watched its rise, "Maybe, maybe my secret love, with the rising dawn tomorrow, I can grant your wish" he decided, "I will come to you, but… No, I will come to you with dawn." His heart was yearning; he had never felt this in his existence. Well. Not much had been afforded to him in this life. He was so rich yet so poor, but that was before he had met this woman, maybe just maybe, she could be a way to saving him from his burden of solitude.

Persephone smiled as she admired the new flower, it was a ruby rose. She never questioned the strange flowers. The lake nymph stared at it, "another gift from your friend lady Persephone?" she asked.

"I do not see them as gifts" she smiled as slowly the stem of it gently wound around her wrist with the central rose as the main piece, it blossomed further out on her arm, "but I do wish to know who was my admirer."

"Who knows, maybe one day he will show himself" she said falling back into the water. Since it was her lake, the nymph already knew who was sending her these flowers; of course it was King Hades, but she swore onto herself not to tell her, she knew just how good of a man he was but Persephone would just have to follow loves path, it what she had always wanted after all, when she had heard Hades' plan to see her mistress, she had had to bury her smile so Persephone wouldn't get suspicious.

Hades wondered back through the tunnels to his throne watching his kingdom as he did so, far in the distance was Elysium, its green villages and houses where heroes and good souls resided, he didn't often go there as much as he wished he could because he was often busy working in the fields of punishment, a vast field of lava waterfalls and molten rock landscape, it sickened him having to go there, watching the souls who had committed their lives to crime or harming others but he had made a pledge, those who had no justice in the over world would receive it when they came here.

Even so, there was a place here in the underworld where even he feared to go, a place where Titans slumbered and horror was born; Tartarus. He had only ever gone down there when it had been the last resort to do so, the bottomless pit of darkness and no god wished to go there. No sane god that is.

Over head the Harpies swooped around; tall women with talon like hands and feet but elegant pretty faces and slim bodies, one slammed down into a tree opposite Hades, "Master" she smiled and bowed and I am sure if she would have been allowed she would have knelt, but her master simply gave a warm smile.

"Alecto" he sat down opposite her, "Let us not stand upon formalities."

"As you wish master" she smiled and her green eyes sparkled, "There is chatter that you are going to be meeting her tomorrow." She looked into his eyes for anyway of getting the news faster than it could be given and he nodded.

"I go to her at dawn, but I will not keep her here, I would not do that to her. I must be on my way" he turned with a sweep of his cloak and headed back the way he came. He must ensure that all was going to be right before she arrived.

When dawn came Persephone was bathing in the lake which glistened under the suns crowning light, as she slowly got out the water and dressed back in her girdle she watched a flower rise to the surface of the water, then another and then another and she ran to its edge tying her hair back over her should as she did so and looked to the water, "what is going on?" she stared at the water then watched as slowly the flowers drifted across the lapping surface till they resembled that of a heart and their jewelled centres bristled under the sunlight "You are there aren't you" she smiled brilliantly looking desperately into the water.

"Yes" came a deep rich voice which she had only dreamed of, but it was only a voice, she could see a dark shape beneath the water but it was to far down to see exactly, her hand stroked the surface of the water as though she was caressing the mans face, "Can you not come any closer?" she said eyes wide, "Please" she pleaded but then that handsome voice came again.

"I am sorry but I cannot, but you can come to me" she could make out now the silhouette of his hand raising as he raised and came slowly into more of a clear view, he was just as if not more handsome than his voice, "I would be happy to have you come here." he smiled brilliantly and his finger tips stroked just beneath the surface of the water.

"Where are you?" she asked looking at the tall pillar he was stood on.

"A place of solitude" he sighed, when his face turned sad she thought her heart was going to burst from pain, his pain was hers.

"Well it will not be anymore." She smiled and her hands hovered just above the water, "I will come to you." She smiled, "we will dance and sing" she looked into his eyes and then his lips, they looked so soft to her, a scar ran gently just beneath his eye to the bottom of his cheek but even that seemed to just look more handsome her.

Her heart was beating to the point she placed her hand back over her chest and Hades looked at her worried. "Are you okay?" he asked, his soft eyes looked scared, as though she was just a petal that would blow away on the breeze, "I- I am just a bit nervous." She admitted and her hand reached into the water and held onto the smooth of his palm, "My name is Persephone." She said as she slowly descended through the shinning blue water into his warm embrace, her eyes searching, devouring the details of his face as she leaned in closer.

"And I am Hades" he purred as his hand ran down the side of her face, they were chest to chest now. His strong arms around her protectively, "And I love you" he leant in and slowly landed a kiss on her warm lips and both fell, even then, the light of their kiss brining warmth and light to the dark underworld.


	4. Chapter 4

At first, the underworld had been barren, for the afterlife it lacked any sort of… well, life, but each night, the new couple began swooning to the throne room and what had become a dreary tunnel, had now become a ball room, the ceiling stood high draped in silks and satin's, the walls had been removed and both lovers had decided like their love, everything should start anew.

Where the barren, cold floor had been was a fine meadow, with wide birthed beds of flowers, each bed held a flower which both lovers had sent to each other on those long days, where they had gazed at each other unknowingly through the lake passage.

From the building blocks of the meadows, a grand palace had been built under the new sky of the underworld next to the forests which Persephone herself had grown, Hades built his palace for elegance and style to that of which his lover would have.

Even so, the longer Persephone stayed, the more his heart hurt knowing that she would one day have to return to the over world, he tried to distance the pain by distancing himself from her, but even so the pain of trying to distance from love hurt even more.

Persephone would often go to where he sat in his throne room, the tall marble walls were beautiful, just like the tapestries he hung that had been to show her beauty and land and plants she created and day by day she watched her loves sad face as he gazed onto her. "Why are you so sad?" she held the trail of her dress to the side as she knelt, she wore long flowing jeweled dresses now. which her king had often made for her by only the most delicate and precise of hands. "Does the love I feel for you not exist in your heart?" she asked, she had always feared it so.

"How could you ask such a thing?" he stared into the deep pools of her eyes, "It is because I have such love for you I am sad!" he said barely above a whisper, he sounded so much like a ghost himself, his handsome voice had gone to sorrow.

"Make me your queen." She kissed his ever so soft lips and held the side of his scarred face.

"It is because my love for you is so deep that I will not." He stood and walked straight out the room but she persistently followed him.

"You say your love is deep yet you would send me back to my own solitude!" she shouted running after him.

"This place is hell! Why would I make you a prisoner to it?" he turned a frown disrupting those handsome features.

"Because I would not care about it as long as I am with you!" she cried, but it was no use, Hades had lived to long knowing the burden that the underworld brought to people, he could only offer companionship for a while, eventually, those he had offered it to grew weary and desired to return to the surface.

"I AM YOUR WIFE" she cried out falling to her knees and hit the ground softly. "Don't send me back please!" but his footsteps now had even become silent in the distance, Persephone was beautiful and she was so very clever. She knew why she would have to return; oh how she knew what was going on. Back on the surface Demeter had fallen into a rage with no equal. To lose her _precious_ daughter had proven too much for even her grief.

What happened now? Plants wilted and died, crops failed and drowned from the rain which only made way for thick snow and ice, the whole world was suffering from the loss of Persephone, but if she left, her whole world, her husband; Hades, would end. She would never be able to return and then what? She would weep and be buried in sadness like her mother is now? No, she wouldn't let that happen.

From the palace balcony she watched as her husband conferred with Hermes. Hermes wasn't particularly handsome to her, he tall like Hades, but that is where the comparison ended. He had a mousy blonde hair and light mischievous eyes, he often wore a white tunic if barely a cloth wrapped around his waist at all, he liked showing off his body, this just made Persephone roll her eyes and shake her head. Hades was the only love to her heart, but that didn't stop her listening in on their conversations.

Hermes would hold his caduceus (a staff with twin snakes circling around it) high as he floated through the air like an annoying busy bee, "She has to return to the world above! Lord and high king Zeus has commanded it, I know you would not go against his order." He grinned, how typical child like behavior, she thought.

"We both know I wouldn't Hermes" Hades growled between gritted teeth, his eyes were ferocious like a wild Cerberus, "She will return at once, you have my word" he nodded.

But Hermes wasn't done yet, not by far.

As he flew to her window to give her the good news that she would be returning and could be released from 'Hades kidnapping' oh I bet that was going to be spreading around like wildfire, saying that he kidnapped me, couldn't these people accept I love him? She thought as she retreated further into the room, waiting, readying herself.

Hermes flew straight in unsuspectingly surrounded in his golden aura, "Persephone." He smiled as he rose and swooped, "I joyous news." He locked his gaze on her, "I can I bring you out of this hell, right here and right now."

"Really?" she poured the amazement into her voice to the point even she almost believed herself, "what if it is my wish that I do not go?" her tone ever so slightly dropped.

"Excuse me?" Hermes obviously had not been ready for this; she wondered what his plan was if she was unwilling to come, he would probably just take her by force.

She slowly began strolling towards him, the plants growing thick vine tendrils behind him, like snakes coiling, "I do not wish to go, or in that fact; ever to leave my husband."

"This is nonsense, child" he interrupted and reached out a hand to grab her wrist, but before he could, with a simple glance from Persephone's elegant eyes, the vines wrapped around his wrists and pulled him back. Hermes was fast.

But not fast enough.

He looked around frantically and moved in a shifting blur as he tried to escape the vise like grip of the vines. I bet this won't go into the stories, she thought with a grin threatening to tug at her lips. "Hermes you are going to tell me something and I am in no certain mood to waste time about getting the answer!" she growled as she stood face to face in front of him.

She was an equal to and goddess or any god. Every rose has its thorn, these were hers.

She pulled his head back to look directly at her, "I will not tell anyone that a young goddess caught the fast Hermes if you give me this information. Okay?" but all he did was nod, "I need a way to stay here with my husband, you are the messenger of the gods, you must know all the secrets of the gods, now tell me how I stay here." Now he just began laughing, she had no time for games, "Hermes tell me or by the lightning bolts of Zeus I will kick you right in the caduceus!" she growled and his eyes widened.

"You wouldn't dare."

"These are Diamond and crystal slippers" she showed the elegant ball shoes. "Do you really want to take that risk?"

"Fine!" he snarled, "All you must do is eat the food of the underworld and you will never be able to leave! Now let me go!" she kept her promise, the vines unwound and before vanishing Hermes fixed her with a gaze of pure loathing then he was gone but not before giving some final advice, "it does not matter. If you stay your mother will destroy the earth above, dying slowly and when it does the underworld will also vanish."

But nothing could come between the pure love that had been created between her and Hades, although he would never admit it, he was desperate for her to stay, the more he hid it and it hurt her, he thought it would be good if she left of her own accord, it would make the pain more bearable. But he couldn't let go, "Persephone" he tasted the name on his tongue, he had warmth now, warmth he had never felt before, his heart was beating this love around his body, he existed now only for his wife, but if he made her his queen, what was he condemning her to?

Persephone had already achieved so much, she had found her love, she had brought life where it was darkest, this was her adventure, but it was drawing slowly to and end as she wondered among her gardens until she came to a pomegranate tree and took one in hand, "Hades I love you" she split it down the centre and felt the warm juices running down her hands into her palms and dripping from her fingers, the blood red juices absorbing into the ground, "so much." She saw his distant silhouette and it began running towards her, with all the warmth and speed in his heart he ran and ran, "PERSEPHONE!" he screamed out. His hand reached out.

"I know you do not wish me to go" she smiled at his worried eyes, "I know you push me away to lessen the burden of a broken heart. But if I do not stay with you, my heart will break anyway and I will die without you my love!" tears formed in the corners of her eyes, this was the hardest thing she would ever have to do and yet the easiest thing, she took the black ruby crown which laid along the brow of her head and it rested gently and perfectly. "And now"

"NO!" Hades cried out, "I LOVE YOU PERSEPHONE DON'T DO THIS TO YOURSELF!" he was so close, just a tiny reach away!

"We will be together forever" the seeds began pouring into her lips one by one.


	5. Chapter 5

**i would just like to say a special thank you to all the people who have encouraged me to write these stories, my special thanks go to my aunty san, madame thome who has always left such kind reviews, my big sis Eden, and my family who gave me the courage to write these stories. To those i have not mentioned i would just as well thank you personally for all your care.**

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Hades ran straight towards his love his fingers finally curled around the pomegranate she had to her mouth and ripped it away but not before four seeds had been eaten by her and he held her by her should after he stamped on the seeds, "What were you thinking!" he shouted, "You would curse yourself just to stay with me! You will grow weary of this place and hate it just as you will hate me!"

"So you would rather of had me leave?" she raised her eyebrow.

"I would rather it you loved me and always remembered that love for when it was good." But when he saw the look in his wife's face he stumbled and sat down on the ground, "I-it does not matter now anyway. The damage is done." He sighed and looked towards the meadows.

A far spread of green grass land with its rich flowers, some with petals of crimson and turquoise, some made of rubies and diamonds but still just like the flower he first sent to his love, soft to the touch and smelling sweet. It be like that now, the underworld could be a place of new life, after all what else was it suppose to be and for the first time since he had realised what he had to do, a smile tugged at his lips mirrored only by Persephone.

He held out his hand and the shadows around them parted ways slowly changing to a blood red carpet, "well then" he smiled, "my queen" her gentle landed smoothed over his palm, "You will need a throne" they slowly walked towards the main throne, not daring taking their eyes of each other, as if both believed the other was made of mist which could be blown away on the faintest breeze, but the throne wasn't important to him, for it was not needed or even necessary what Hades had planned.

He stared back up the stream which they had sent each other the flowers that had kindled their love, it looked so weak now, ice had started freezing over the top, "Persephone, you know just how much I love you, don't you?" he whispered.

"Of course I do." She blushed; when they had married they had laid together holding each other, such thoughts brought and embarrassing warmth to her face but gave Hades a small flicker of a smile, that's when he spoke the same words Persephone had first said to him.

"Thank you for the flower." He smiled as he held the first pure white rose she had given him, "do not let me be forgotten from your thoughts" her eyes widened as she slowly began to realize what was going on, but it was to late, Hades hugged her then lifted her of her feet and placed in the stream, "Please" he added and began following her to the surface.

As soon as she passed through the ice of the surface she turned back to the water tears falling from her eyes. "No!" she shouted "it wasn't supposed to be like this!" she cried as she hit the ice with her hand. Already just from the presence of her being back, warmth had began returning to the world; trees grew new and shinning leafs. Plants blossomed wide, but yet for all the beauty and this returned light, the cold and ice of before was now all that filled her heart.

Demeter floated into the clearing smiling just as she had rehearsed; she knew her daughter would have had no choice but to return to her with what she done to the earth, "Persephone my darling Lo-"

"You can shut up!" she growled as she whirled around on her mother, "You had your chance for love! You had Zeus, you had a child but you couldn't allow me to have it could you! You're as clinging as a sun flower turning to the life; just as though you are half dead without that other part so you move your way so that you get it, so you will not speak!" she snarled and Demeter slowly backed away with a flame of hatred growing in her eye as she turned to Hades, "you cannot send me back!" Persephone persisted as she cried falling into the water, "I ate the food of the underworld!"

"You what?" screamed her mother, but yet again Persephone snapped around glaring. She was fed up of being the sweet innocent alone little girl, she had tasted the lust and blood of love and now she wanted more, Hades' love was like a life saving drug, she would survive with it taken away.

"Why don't you see?" Hades whispered placing his hand to the surface, only the glass hard water now separated their touch, "I am doing this for you, I want our love to last." He looked deeply into her eyes and she began to calm, as though just his gaze could sedate her.

"But my heart belongs to you and only you." She held her hand over her chest; in the reflection of the water she could see her and Hades. Both of them had golden arrows sprouting from their chests, they crossed over in an X and with both of them lent into each other the reflection made two mirrored hearts, a heart here on the world above and one so far bellow yet still so connected unable to break away from each other.

So far and yet; so close.

Hades watched her as slowly the darkness of his kingdom, no, it wasn't a kingdom it was a prison! "Please don't leave me." She cried.

"I will be here each day and then soon you will be able to return to my embrace and we will dance and sing and hold each other once again." His face was now being claimed by the shadows and souls dragging him back, "Persephone?" he whispered as though the very name still had frozen on his tongue.

"Yes?" she sobbed, weeping.

"I love you. I use to think I never had a heart." He smiled as he was being pulled beneath the caves, "you proved me wrong, you saved me." And with that he was gone.

Persephone's cries and tears were horrific as they washed across the lands. Every time her mother tried to approach her, a lash of thorns and vines would drop from the trees like serpents and her tears began to swamp over the lake till the water which had once been beautiful and still began boggy and murky, not even her friend the nymph could surface from that despair to comfort her mistress.

Demeter had been wrong about love, it was not love that had hurt her, it was not love that had forced her back to the above world where her love could not come and love hadn't betrayed her to this pain, only one person had subjugated Persephone to this pain and despair, this solitude and prison; Demeter had.

She slowly turned back to her mother, "You." She growled, "I will help you feed this earth, I will feed it with a bounty that can supply it through the harshest of weathers and give them life. So that when I leave to be with my husband, you can do them no harm! They will rejoice just as I. When the cold weather comes, they will rejoice with me that I have got to see my love! You will be bitter and scornful."

"Don't think they won't praise me when you return!" she shouted, "They will praise the day that the goddess Demeter saved her daughter; who had been kidnapped by the evil tyrant Hades.

"GO AWAY!" Persephone's scream was that last thing that broke the area; slowly a mist began rolling into the bogged area, "you will no longer be swamped for work… Demeter, while you are always alone short as it may I will always have the better world, I have him!" but her mother had already turned and gone, Demeter had won, she had her daughter and not Hades, but didn't stop what happened next.

In the garden next to her bloomed a flower, the first flower Hades had ever sent her, so beautiful and so sad, so dark yet sparking with the small light that shone in his eyes when he saw his wife.

It was a rose.


End file.
